Thursday, 4 February 2016

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Sick Olumide Bakare-Why Actors Guild of Nigeria should be embarrassed

Olumide Bakare.Yet another sad news from the entertainment industry of Nigeria.Veteran Nollywood actor Olumide Bakare is between life and death at the UCH hospital on Secretariat road near total garden in Ibadan Oyo State.And once again it is a typical case of the patient unable to meet medical bills and throwing away their dignity by publicly begging for help.

As at today, the actor who made his name in the popular soap,Koko Close as Chief Koko,and in various Yoruba and Nollywood films, is now bedridden and has accrued huge medical bills as his condition worsens on a daily basis.It really makes me wonder what the actors guild of Nigeria really does.I mean this is not rocket science.They have thousands of members.The solution here is very simple,even someone like me who knows nothing about insurance or health can figure this out easily.If it is mandatory for every member to donate 5% of anything they are paid for a movie into a special medical fund,they will raise millions.Now take this fund and take out a health insurance,so that when anyone falls sick,the fund will take care of it.It will also be stipulated that this is not just for any kind of minor illness,so it is not abused.It is very sad and disheartening to see our stars and entertainers always reduced to beggars when they have a serious ailment.

Olumide Bakare,has been placed on life support due to malfunctioning heart and lungs.

As at the time of this report, Mr Bakare needs 30,000 daily for treatment.

Olumide Bakare was rushed to UCH last week and since then, the actor said he has spent over N200,000.

While speaking in an interview with Encomium Magazine last year,Bakare talking about his health revealed,actually, for sometime I have been on the sick side. In fact, as at 2013/2014, I was very sick and that was published by many newspapers, magazines and even the social media. But as God would have it, I was taken to United States of America by my children and brother, a surgeon gynecologist. I went for medical treatment in the US where I stayed for a while. I came back to Nigeria in May 2014. But since then, I have not been very active. I am still on medication. I have low blood flow into the heart, which is a very terrible disease. So, I just take things easy. And most times, my doctor would tell me, ‘Just rest, sir.’

When asked about what caused his heart ailment which he described as low flow of blood into his heart,he replied...If I may tell you, I have been a very strong person right from my secondary school days to my days in the university. Even when I was at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), as the landlord of Oluwalambe Lodge, Koko Close, I drank, smoked and womanized. And you know when you do all these things, the result can be negative sometimes. But I just want to tell you, God has been so good and merciful to me. As it is right now, I am enjoying the grace of God. I still keep my normal life but most of the time, I am in the church. I go for vigil, day and night. I pray to God all the time and He has always answered my prayers. And I am very grateful to Him for that. I also want to thank all my friends that surrounded me, including Alhaji Lateef, Kunle Akinyele and others. These people have been so fantastic in my life and God is the greatest.

He is calling on kind-hearted Nigerians to come to his aid financially.

Hear his plea:

“My strength is not enough to withstand this any longer. Help me to beg the children of Nigeria that they should render both financial support and prayers to me.”

These photos of Olumide Bakare were taken yesterday afternoon at UCH.

The actor can be helped via his Ecobank Account No 3872003592 (OLUMIDE BAKARE).